Designed to be the audiophile-quality centerpiece of a mobile recording setup, the Apogee Electronics Duet is a 2x4 USB audio/MIDI interface bringing Apogee's legendary sonic performance and intuitive operability to an ultracompact and elegant form factor for musicians, producers, and songwriters in pursuit of their best sound no matter where they are.
It features two world-class microphone preamps with phantom power, XLR-1/4" combo inputs (via the supplied breakout cable) for connecting microphones, instruments, or line-level signals, and up to 75 dB of gain to ensure robust amplification even for low-output ribbons and classic dynamics such as the Shure SM7B. Enable the Duet's integral per-channel Soft Limit technology to gently prevent clipping the A/D converters and open up more headroom.
With two balanced analog 1/4" TRS line/monitor outputs and a stereo 1/4" headphone output, the Duet can feed a set of monitors and your favorite cans at the same time. The main and headphone outputs are independently addressable, giving the flexibility to route separate mixes to an artist in the studio, a performer on stage, or a house PA system.
Two QuickTouch pads above the main controller knob can be assigned to functions such as mute, dim, and sum-to-mono. A full-color, high-resolution OLED display provides visual feedback for vital functions including metering, I/O level values, phantom power, soft-limit indication, and more.
On the Duet's rear panel, there are dual USB ports—one for connection to your Mac/Windows computer or iOS mobile device, while the other supports MIDI input and output over USB. Apogee Maestro software is available for three operating systems (Mac, Windows, and iOS) to provide low-latency monitoring and comprehensive control of Duet in a user-friendly, single-window interface.
Creative Control
- Compact, portable design and intuitive user interface make the unit a perfect studio control center for a Mac computer, a PC sporting Windows 10, or an iOS device
- Full-color, high-resolution OLED screen for critical input and output detail
- QuickTouch pads for easy I/O selection
- Single, large controller knob
Complete Connections
- Connect two microphones, instruments, keyboards, or line inputs
- Plug in a MIDI controller or keyboard
- Monitor and mix in stereo through speakers and headphones
World-Class Microphone Preamps
- Seamless click-free transitions as the gain increases and decreases throughout the 0 to 75 dB gain range
- Allows for dialing in the perfect level, either with the controller knob or from within software
- Ultralow noise and smooth, crisp detail
- Suitable for all dynamic, condenser, and ribbon microphones
Transparent AD/DA Converters
- Converters designed to deliver unadulterated recordings and a stellar listening experience
- Efficient circuitry and state-of-the-art components provide a simplified signal path that results in transparent recordings
- Utilizes an ESS Sabre32 32-bit hyperstream DAC with circuitry to eliminate time domain jitter and provide ample dynamic range and low-distortion conversion
Analog Outputs
- Two balanced 1/4" TRS outputs allow for connection to speakers or outboard equipment
- Studio-quality 1/4" headphone output independently adjusts headphone levels separate from the main outputs
- Enables a DJ to monitor a separate mix in headphones while sending a house mix to the club, a live performer to send a click track to in-ear monitors while sending a backing track to front-of-house, or a recording engineer to send a headphone mix to the performer while dedicating the main outputs to studio monitors
Soft Limit Clip Protection
- Prevents digital clipping that causes distortion by instantaneously rounding off transient peaks before they hit the analog-to-digital converter
- Allows for several more decibels of apparent level to be recorded while subtly providing an analog-like warmth to the sound
MIDI I/O over USB
- Dedicated USB MIDI I/O connection for connecting a CoreMIDI compatible keyboard, synthesizer, or DJ controller
- Leaves a USB port available on your computer for external hard drives and other devices, eliminating the need for an external MIDI interface
High-Resolution Display
- High-resolution OLED delivers all the visual feedback critical for recording and monitoring
- Without looking at a computer, Duet displays metering, levels, grouping, phase, muting, phantom power, and Soft Limit for all inputs and outputs
QuickTouch Pads
- Easily access all important recording and monitoring functions
- Tap a QuickTouch Pad on the top panel to select an input or output and easily adjust level with the controller knob
- Quick access to output functions such as mute, dim, sum to mono, and toggle headphone source
- Each function can be assigned to a touchpad using a drop-down menu within Apogee's Maestro application
Maestro Software
- Input type selection and level control
- Microphone preamp level control
- Speaker, headphone selection, and volume control
- Low-latency monitoring
- Clock source, sample rate setting
- Minimized tool bar view with System Status, volume controls, mute and clear meters buttons
- Comprehensive metering
- Intuitive audio routing
- Soft Limit and phase invert on each input
USB 2.0 Interface
- USB 2.0 high-speed connectivity
- Includes a mini-USB to USB Type-A cable
- Mini-USB to Apple connector (30-pin or Lightning) cables available separately to allow connection to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod
- Included external power supply required for operation on Windows computers and iOS mobile devices
- Bus powered via USB connection to Mac computers
USB Aggregation with Apogee Duet 2
- Duet 2 users can add more channels of Apogee conversion to their existing setups by adding a Quartet (available separately)
- Connect both Quartet and Duet 2 to a Mac's USB ports and aggregate the two devices for a combined total of six analog inputs and 12 analog outputs
Solid Build Quality
- Designed in California
- Built in the USA
- Sturdy construction with sleek aluminum chassis
